Hegseth Says He Didn’t Watch Strike That Hit Drug Boat Survivors

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he wasn’t watching when a top US admiral ordered a second strike on an alleged drug-running boat on Sept. 2, further distancing himself from an attack that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny and prompted accusations of possible war crimes.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting alongside President Donald Trump, Hegseth said he watched the first strike live but then had other meetings to attend and only learned of the full sequence of events a “couple of hours later.” He voiced support for Admiral Frank Bradley, the commander who ordered the second strike, calling his decisions the ...